Ownin’ It.

voltee ♦ January 2, 2013 ♦ 3 Comments

Item: Sweater Color/Fabric: Electric Blue, Silk/cashmere Designer: Rebecca Taylor Where Purchased: Barney’s Co-Op Years Owned: 2

Happy New Year to all! And I mean that, quite literally.
Usually, I struggle with the first few days, weeks, months of a new year. It’s been a long time since I felt awed and excited by the prospect of turning a new corner, and starting a new year.
Usually there are a lot of tears. And many wishes to go back and finish the things I thought I had twelve long months to accomplish..
Last year, it took me almost all of January to pull out of that nose-dive (you can read all about that here).
This year, not one single, solitary weeping.
Hoorah!
So let’s chat about resolutions. I’ve tried many in my day. Last year, I had so many good intentions. My LBD Project didn’t quite go as swimmingly as I hoped (you can read all about that here). I just didn’t have the correct LBD do do it! Not to make excuses.
But it is the truth.
Anyway. My other resolutions, (you can read all about those here) correlate quite nicely with this year’s resolutions, niftily named by my dear friend Annie, Thrifty Thirteen.
Welcome to Thrifty Thirteen, y’all!
The concept was borne by another dear friend, Molly, and she shared it during a farewell dinner for the lovely Victoria, whom I miss already. Basically, Thrifty Thirteen involves Shopping Abstinence, which is pretty low on my list of favorite types of abstinence. We have committed to not buy anything NEW, except for absolute necessities.
There are many reasons why I’m on board. Sure, there’s saving money, helping the environment, not contributing to poor factory conditions, and as our fearless leader so concisely put it, a refusal to be “a cog in this mindless consumer culture and spending too much money on STUFF!!”
All of these are excellent reasons, and oh so close to my heart!
But to make this truly work, I have to put this in context of the center of my universe. My closet.
I took great strides in streamlining my wardrobe, saving the cream and letting go of the un-cream, and taking baby-steps in fashion fearlessness last year.
This year, I will conquer it!
If I do not get off of this train I am constantly trying to disembark, the train of unending yearning for and relentless pursuit of new and better clothing options, I will not only run out of money, but I am fairly certain I will not be as happy.
Which leads to the very simplest and truest statement I can make about myself and my life: I have a chronic contentment deficiency.
I have a chronic contentment deficiency.
This bears repeating.
I think that working towards balancing this weakness of mine is my ultimate goal for 2013.
And that means, loving the ones I am with. Making it work. Owning what I own.
I vow to fall deeply, madly, wildly, and endlessly in love with the garments that I currently own. That means; being more creative, taking larger steps toward fashion fearlessness and a strict ban on self-criticism.
Yes! I know that I can do it.
Let’s chat a little about this sweater, shall we? It is cloud-soft, and such a vibrant, happy, beautiful color. And it has the little ruffle on the sleeve and down the sides that I know isn’t really evident in the picture.
Maybe here:

Maybe not. That’s not the most sweater-flattering picture I’ve ever taken… But please note my necklace. Here’s a close-up:

I made this, with a large piece of turquoise that Nate brought me from his first trip to India. And then I wore it with this sweater the night that Thrifty Thirteen came into existence. And after a love and light and chili stew filled dinner, I returned home to find no necklace round my neck. Missing!
Hysterics ensued.
Knowing that it was a one-of-a-kind, with parts lovingly chosen by my love in a strange land, and that even if I tried I couldn’t possibly recreate it because I had neither the pieces nor the remembrance to make that happen, I panicked.
Nate calmly strode out the door and retraced our steps; first the driveway, then the Redbox, then all the way to Rhinebeck, where he found it lying lost and lonely on a snow-shrouded sidewalk.
I do not have a chronic contentment deficiency regarding my marriage.
The only hesitation I have regarding this sweater is the length. I’m not, and will never, ever be, a crop-top sort of girl, as a rule. Note that you can nearly see Trixie’s navel. I do like it as a layering piece, though. And it is by one of the great loves of my life, Rebecca Taylor.
I want to keep it, and am looking forward to finding new ways to love it.
Thoughts?